Better Served Cold
by Terres De Brume
Summary: Well, they do say revenge is a dish better served cold, and I couldn't find a better way to chill mine down... Legolas and the twins have a Snowball Fight.


**Author:** Fania

**Fandom:** The Lord of the Rings.

**Disclaimer:** They are all Tolkien's, I'm afraid.

**Note:** This is a prize contest I had to write, the contest was entitled 'Elves on the Snow' and since I had complete freedom with this One Shot and I was in the process of writing Christmas-y fics, I decided to use this theme as a starting point and this is what came out… I'm perfectly open to remarks and critics, so feel free to review and tell me what you think of it =)

**Better Served Cold**

"Score!" Elladan shouted as a heavy snowball landed on Legolas' head, efficiently covering his neck in soft, cottony and horrendously cold whiteness. "That's twenty seven to three in our favor!" he boasted.

"Oh don't worry Elladan, we will get back at you and your brothers much sooner than you would like us too!"

He dodged a new projectile aimed at his face and ran to the gardens, quickly followed by an exhilarated twin who proved to have gotten much, much better at snowballs fights in the course of the last decade… then again, it was true he'd spent most of that time roaming the north, and he'd had more than one occasion to get better acquainted with snow, but Legolas heavily doubted either him or Elrohir would've had that much time to practice snowball firing. 'Nevertheless' the thought as he took a narrow turn down one of the numerous pathways that led to the gardens, 'I seem to have underestimated them.'

Legolas managed to dive between Aragorn's leg before the newly crowned king could catch him and narrowly avoided being hit by a good aim from Elrohir, before engulfing himself in a new corridor, three pairs of footsteps indicating that he was being followed. He smirked to himself and gave a yelp as he passed under an elegant balcony of sculpted stone. He stopped a few feet further, caught in a dead end, and turned around to discover Estel and the twins standing right under the balcony, three victorious smirks lighting their faces.

"I say, we should take him down now, then proceed to find his accomplice." Aragorn suggested, already gathering a heavy-looking snowball in his hands.

"Aye, brother," Elladan acquiesced, "it will do good to our prince to be taught that he can lose once in a while."

"In verbal jests and swordfights maybe," Legolas laughed lightly, "but it seems to me that despite yours and your brothers' reputation, there are still _some_ things I can teach you when it comes to mischief plotting."

Before either one of the sons of Elrond could do more than raise an eyebrow in question, there was muffled 'humpf' indicating a heavy effort, and all three half-elves found themselves covered in fresh snow that dripped in their clothes, rolling down their necks and back as the heat from their bodies caused it to melt.

"I say, friend, this is worth at least fifty points."

"Aye" Gimli's rolling voice approved from the balcony where only his flaming hair could be seen, "fifty points for each of them."

"Frankly _Elrondionath,_ I am surprised that you weren't able to foresee anything of the sort… Did you all think Gimli would let me down after all the challenges we have faced the worse together?"

Gimli laughed heartily above their heads, a smug edge in his voice as he rejoiced having beaten not one, but three pointy-eared, tree-headed would-be squirrels, as he liked to call elves –regardless of their origins, for he did it only to pick up on Legolas, who was more than happy to retaliate most of the time.

"You have yet to face the worst of them all" Elladan grunted as he tried to get rid of the snow that had found its way to his breeches, "Thranduil does not yet know of your friendship… I at least am willing to bet he will not be pleased that your newfound best friend happens to be the son of a Dwarf he had imprisoned in his caves!"

"Do you say this because you think it is what will happen, or because you wish it were?" Legolas jested, "if I remember well, you did not leave the great hall of Mirkwood completely unscathed after your first visit."

"And besides," Gimli added, heavily supporting himself on the balcony's banister, "how Thranduil will welcome me –or how my father will welcome his son, for that matter- is of little importance, for we will not face this fate without support."

"Of course" approved Elrohir as he pulled off his boot in the hope of emptying it of all snow, "you will have each other's support."

"Aye" Gimli acquiesced, "that, and the memory of this day, which is proving to become more and more interesting as time goes by."

Estel, Elladan and Elrohir followed the Dwarf's gaze to the small courtyard's entrance, were they discovered a very displeased-looking Elrond, eyebrows tightly knit together as he marched upon his quickly paling sons and a snickering Legolas.

The Mirkwood prince let out a silent laugh as Elrond seized the twins' ears and bellowed for Estel to follow him, silencing Elrohir's protest that they were the victims of with an angry "this serves you right for making fools of yourself by engaging yourself in a snowball fight of _all things_ while the _whole court_ of Gondor is there to watch you!". Meanwhile, Legolas climbed up to the balcony, where Gimli had finally given in to the near-hysterical laughs that shook him from head to toes.

"I must admit you were right," he managed to articulate once his exhilaration had calmed down, "this was quite the sight to see, and I am willing to say that it will be of great comfort when I shall face your father! Though I still fail to see why you would be so willing to publicly embarrass your friends."

"Because they have done so several times during my various stays with them in Imladris… the twins only, of course, I had but barely met with Estel before the beginning of our quest, let alone spoken to him, though I knew he was Elrond's son as well."

"I thought you said your last visit here was millenniums old!" Gimli exclaimed.

"Well, they do say revenge is a dish better served cold, and I couldn't find a better way to chill mine down."

Legolas let out a hearty laugh and Gimli soon joined him as they went down the corridors followed by the fain echoes of Elrond's wrath and the twins' protestations of their innocence.


End file.
